Our July 2026 Tried and True Recipe comes from one of our youngest chefs - and past winner of the Beloved Community Pie Social contest, Leila Gordan. 

At 6 1/2 years old, Leila is already leading the way to a politics of joy and flourishing to Schenectady.

During the Reading of the Declaration of Independence on the 4th of July, she was our youngest reader on the steps of City Hall, boldly proclaiming "We hold these truths to be self-evident, That all men are created equal."  And then at the community cookout in the afternoon, she generously shared the Declaration Day Magic Flag Jello Jigglers she joyfully created with her sister and mom, Ariel White (MO#1283).  Before sharing the recipe, let's hear the backstory from Leila herself. 

"Sometimes before bed, my mom lets me scroll TikTok with her. One night we saw a video about Jello USA flags and I wanted to make them so bad. I asked my mom if we could and she said yes, but I had to clean my room first. After I cleaned my room, we went shopping and bought all the ingredients. They sat in the kitchen for a couple of days and I kept asking my mom when we were going to make them. "On Friday, before the 4th of July," she said. I couldn't wait. I was so excited. I begged her to watch the video over and over again. She sighed and we did.

On Friday, I was so excited but my mom was super busy, so we didn't even start until nighttime. She called me to the kitchen and let me and my sister empty the blue jello packs. She stirred, though, because the water was so hot. She poured the jello into the pan and we waited. We worked on the next two layers before bed, but she told me that she would finish while I was sleeping. In the morning she told me to look in the refrigerator and I was super surprised. It worked! My mom cut one batch and I did the next. I couldn't wait to tell everyone. When we got to the Declaration Day cookout, I showed everyone our creation. It was the best! I can't wait to make them again.

Declaration Day Jello Jiggler

Created by Leila Gordon |  Inspired by @ katsi_tik

Ingredients

 Blue Layer:

• 3 boxes blue Jello (3 oz each)

• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin

• 3 cups boiling water

• Optional (but so fun!): edible glitter

Red Layer:

• 4 boxes red Jello (3 oz each)

• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin

• 4 cups boiling water

White Layer:

• 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

• 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin

• 1½ cups boiling water

• ½ cup cold water

Instructions

1. Prepare Blue Base: Blend blue Jello, 1 envelope unflavored gelatin, and 3 cups boiling water until dissolved. Pour into a lightly greased 9x13-inch pan and refrigerate until set (approx. 1 hour).

2. Create Stripes: Using a hot knife, cut the blue Jello into 1-inch strips. Remove and discard every other strip, leaving alternating blue stripes and empty spaces.

3. Prepare Red Mixture: Blend red Jello, 1 envelope unflavored gelatin, and 4 cups boiling water until dissolved. Set aside.

4. Prepare White Mixture: Combine cold water with 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin; let sit for 2 minutes. Add 1½ cups boiling water and stir until dissolved. Mix in the sweetened condensed milk until smooth.

5. Fill Stripe: Pour 3 tablespoons of red mixture into each blank space between the blue strips. Refrigerate until set. Follow by pouring 3 tablespoons of white mixture over the set red sections and refrigerate again.

6. Layer: Pour 1¼ cups of red mixture over the entire surface. Once set, pour 1¼ cups of white mixture over that. Continue alternating until mixtures are used.

7.  Final Set and Cut: Refrigerate overnight. Cut into long strips, then cut at each blue section to create flag-shaped pieces.

Tips from the Chef

• Use a glass pan to easily see the direction of the stripes for the final cut.

• Each layer should be firm but slightly sticky so the next layer adheres well.

• Keep remaining liquid mixture in a bowl of warm water to prevent premature setting.

• Dip your knife in hot water before each cut for clean edges. 

• Share with your friends to spread the joy!